The Glovers, once famous for their giant-killing of my team Sunderland in the FA Cup back in 1949 with a 2-1 win, and also the infamous sloping pitch which slanted six feet along the halfway line and eight feet corner to corner.
Yeovil Town were known as just a non league side from 1896 until 2003 when they won the Conference and entered Division Three (now known as League Two) where they stayed for two seasons before climbing up and spending a further eight seasons in League One. Then, in 2013 a dramatic 2-1 win against Brentford in the play off final thanks to a wonder goal from Paddy Madden securing their place in the dizzy heights of the Championship!
This is where it all went down hill and shows that sometimes getting promoted could be the beginning of a downfall through the leagues as players left for bigger clubs.
I’m sure all Yeovil Town supporters will agree that they did not expect to stay up in the Championship and to just enjoy the season playing against bigger opposition with some future stars on their team including now Welsh international Kieffer Moore, Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and Leeds United’s Luke Ayling. They did ultimately get relegated with 37 points, but an appearance in the 4th round of the FA Cup, bowing out to Premier League Southampton, a great win away to Watford and a hard earned draw with Leicester which they very nearly won if it wasn’t for a last minute header which Kasper Schmeichel claimed (who won the Premier league only a few seasons later) to name a couple of key moments. It was a hard fought season, just a team that didn’t have enough funds to survive.
The following season and back in familiar territory, Yeovil lost most of their team, and also had a manager change halfway through the season with Gary Johnson's 2nd spell at the club coming to an end with Paul Sturrock taking the reigns. The season started poorly with back to back loses, and didn’t get much better, with the only positive being a home fixture against Manchester United in the FA Cup 3rd round which was televised and sold out. But what happened to the financial revenue the club would have received from this game? Yeovil ended the season with a double relegation and a 5-1 defeat to MK Dons.
Although Yeovil’s motto is “Achieve by unity” they should have altered it to say “Surrender by Disharmony” as the lack of team spirit was apparent within the supporters, and things started to turn sour. The attendances dwindled over their three seasons in League Two with finishes of 19th, 20th and 19th again, with then the 4th season being the latest hammer in the coffin ending with relegation to the National League, sixteen years after the beginning of their climb into the Football League and only five years after they were in the Championship, undoing everything they had achieved and built within the club just like a person being given all the building blocks to build a successful business to then throw it all away and end up worse off than before.
The beginning of Yeovil's National League return was very successful with Scott Preistnell and Errol Pope (more on them later) taking over the club, With the Glovers in 4th place when the Covid outbreak halted things, they eventually lost to Barnet in the play off quarter finals when football returned, extending their stay in Non League football for another season. Over the next couple of seasons they finished 16th and 12th and sadly popular Yeovil Town captain Lee Collins took his own life mid way through the season, which resulted in Yeovil postponing three of their next fixtures in a mark of respect.
In the later stages of 2020, Errol Pope stepped down from his role of co-owner due to the financial effect of Covid 19. This resulted in Priestnall being wholy responsible for lack of investment and selling Huish Park to South Somerset Council, which laid the groundwork for what was to come in a upcoming terrible few seasons in the National League, and ending ultimately in relegation into National League South - 10 years after being in the Championship. Going from the likes of playing Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City to old rivals Weymouth, Taunton Town and Truro city.
As of May 2023 Yeovil have been taken over by Martin Hellier where things at the club are looking up for the first time in ten years. I saw the first game in the new era at Yeovil Town vs my local club (Buckland Athletic) where they came out victorious in a 4-0 win (check my vlog out of this game via TheDevonMackem on YouTube - here).
I asked Tim Hubble a few questions to see the views from a Yeovil Town supporter.
How long have you been watching Yeovil for and what is your favourite and least favourite game you have seen in this time?
"I have watched Yeovil since the 80s roughly about 38 years. Although I was exiled in the north for 15 years so I wasn’t able to attend as much as I wanted. My favourite game was the 2-0 win over Sheffield United to get to the League One play off final vs Brentford (which Yeovil went on to win) my least favourite is tough as theres been too many low moments to count over the past ten years but I would say last season when we lost 2-0 at home to Aldershot Town. The atmosphere was really toxic and nasty at the end. However this resulted in the sacking of Chris Hargreaves so I was thankful for that."
What really happened to Yeovil Town to go from the Championship to relegation to National League South?
"Wasted opportunities, downright greed and big egos has destroyed little old Yeovil over a timespan of ten years. Scott Priestnell selling our home ground to the council was an absolute scandal which should have been investigated by the government as it was essentially bought with tax payers money. We were assest stripped and left as a paper only club with no money and large debt. Luckily Martin Hellier is in the process of sorting the club out. He rescued us in the nick of time as we wouldn’t have been able to even start the season without his intervention. Thankfully Scott Priestnell decided to sell everything and buy the rights back to Huish Park. We thought initially Matt Uggla was taking over and although he had good intentions his purchases of players over Mark Coopers head seemed to unsettle the dressing room. We still don’t know exactly what went on behind closed doors but Mark's job was impossible so relegation was no surprise."
Now Martin Hellier has taken over where do you see the club being in five years?
"Well hopefully back in the EFL but this up coming season is all about stabilising the club. Mark Cooper has bought wisely and we have a very good side that would be in the top half of the National Premier easily. We have some awesome firepower for the National South but nobody thinks it'll be an easy ride. We might take a couple of seasons to get back up but without sounding arrogant we are a huge side to be in this league with a category A ground that is looking a lot better than it did. Martin Hellier has so far put the money in like he said he would and I feel like Yeovil are on the rise again."
I believe Yeovil are truly on their way back. They may not reach the heights of the Championship again but the new era starts this season and I’m very invested to see how they get on.
Little old Yeovil will return….
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